Shropshire Star

Professor Alice Roberts backs Twycross Zoo in fight for survival

Professor Alice Roberts has pledged her support for the attraction's survival.

Published
Alice Roberts

The writer and broadcaster has released a video detailing the importance of the zoo for conservation, education and research.

Alice joins previous support from other celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench and Sam Bailey who have all backed the campaign to save the 57-year zoo.

Twycross Zoo is the only place in the UK to home the four great apes – chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orang utans.

In an average year, the zoo’s award-winning education department teaches 60,000 school children about the natural world

Since its existence, Twycross Zoo has supported 55 conservation projects from 27 countries around the world.

A bonobo and baby at Twycross Zoo

The attraction is part of a number of European breeding programmes to preserve endangered species including one of the world’s rarest big cats, the Amur leopard.

Over the last four months, Twycross Zoo has been fighting for its future and has battled since lockdown in pleas to the Government for vital financial aid to save itself from extinction.

With no access to the Government’s £100 million Zoo Fund, the zoo has called on its supporters to donate and raise awareness for the venue's plight.

Alice Roberts and DR Sharon Redrobe OBE

Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, CEO Twycross Zoo, said: “We want to thank Alice for her moving words and as patron of Twycross Zoo for over six years, her support means a lot to us.

“We have been blown away by the public so far since we reopened in June, who have booked tickets and memberships, donated and adopted animals however, we cannot stop fighting yet.

"It’s vital that we have a successful summer and the only way we can do this is to continue to call upon our supporters to join the fight in our Summer of Survival and help protect our zoo from extinction.

The launch event for Chimp Eden at Twycross Zoo.

“It really is going to take a whole community to save our zoo and a small gesture can collectively make a huge difference to our charity.”

For more information and to donate, click here.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.